Pages

Saturday, September 14, 2013

Emperors are the largest of all penguins—an average bird stands
some 45 inches (115 centimeters) tall. These flightless animals live on
the Antarctic ice and in the frigid surrounding waters.

Penguins
employ physiological adaptations and cooperative behaviors in order to
deal with an incredibly harsh environment, where wind chills can reach
-76°F (-60°C).

They huddle together to escape wind and conserve
warmth. Individuals take turns moving to the group's protected and
relatively toasty interior. Once a penguin has warmed a bit it will move
to the perimeter of the group so that others can enjoy protection from
the icy elements.

Emperor penguins spend the long winter on the
open ice—and even breed during this harsh season. Females lay a single
egg and then promptly leave it behind. They undertake an extended
hunting trip that lasts some two months! Depending on the extent of the
ice pack, females may need to travel some 50 miles (80 kilometers) just
to reach the open ocean, where they will feed on fish, squid, and krill.
At sea, emperor penguins can dive to 1,850 feet (565 meters)—deeper
than any other bird—and stay under for more than 20 minutes.

Male
emperors keep the newly laid eggs warm, but they do not sit on them, as
many other birds do. Males stand and protect their eggs from the
elements by balancing them on their feet and covering them with
feathered skin known as a brood pouch. During this two-month bout of
babysitting the males eat nothing and are at the mercy of the Antarctic
elements.

When female penguins return to the breeding site, they
bring a belly full of food that they regurgitate for the newly hatched
chicks. Meanwhile, their duty done, male emperors take to the sea in
search of food for themselves.

Mothers care for their young chicks
and protect them with the warmth of their own brood pouches. Outside of
this warm cocoon, a chick could die in just a few minutes. In December,
Antarctic summer, the pack ice begins to break up and open water
appears near the breeding site, just as young emperor penguins are ready
to swim and fish on their own.